


From the Ashes

by Adamantia13



Category: Pirates of the Caribbean (Movies)
Genre: F/M, Scarlet Phoenix, Two OCs - Freeform, badass female pirates, especially the first movie, follows movies, own awesome ship, references to historic pirates, slight AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-07
Updated: 2017-06-28
Packaged: 2018-11-10 09:13:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,616
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11124204
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Adamantia13/pseuds/Adamantia13
Summary: The sea belongs to the pirates, that is how it has always been. But the golden age of piracy has ended and slowly but surely the East India Trading Company takes control over the seas. The next generation is on the rise, particularly: the Bonny sisters, children of Anne Bonny and Calico Jack Rackham. [OC/Barbossa]





	1. Chapter 1 - "Hoist the Sails!"

**Author's Note:**

> Originally inspired by the recent PotC movie - disregarding its end.
> 
> Rated M (as of now) for later chapters.  
> Main paring is OC/Barbossa.  
> Later chapters will contain sensitive topics - warnings will be included.

"My dear friend... my sister tells me that you tried to leave us with this bag of gold, is that true?" The blonde Elaina Bonny, captain of her own ship – the Scarlet Phoenix – asked in a dangerously calm voice as she circled the trembling man in front of her. The crew was quiet, the tension in the air almost suffocating them. Their captain was known for her fierce personality; calmness was never a good sign...                       

Said traitor could only swallow as he stared at his captain in pure fear. "Y-Yes," he finally spoke, stuttering slightly. "B-But I only wanted to-" He was interrupted by a snort coming from the captain's older sister, the red-haired Lyssa Bonny, the quartermaster and usual lookout, who had found him. Again, the traitor swallowed. "I-I only wanted to... t-take w-what’s mine." At the end of his sentence, his voice was slightly steadier.

Elaina continued circling the man she had once called one of her best cannoneers, until she met his eyes once again. "Haven't I been good to you?" Her voice sounded somewhat sad, disappointed. "Haven't I given you everything you need and more?" she asked and picked up a bottle of rum.

Said man swallowed again, unable to do anything else as the sweat dripped from his forehead. "I-I... C-Captain..." he began to explain, or rather tried to. He took a deep breath before his voice became steadier. "The gold I stole was discovered by myself," he finally said, not looking into her eyes. "I only took what is rightfully mine... And I need it..."

"So you decided to put yourself before the crew," Elaina concluded, her anger grew, but she still kept herself composed. "I found you, too... doesn't that make you mine as well?" she added, uncorking the rum and taking a large gulp. "I found you in the middle of the open sea, clinging to a piece of driftwood for your dear life… And despite your way of thinking, I made you my cannoneer instead of my slave..." As she continued speaking, Elaina poured the rum slowly over the traitor's head before she casted the bottle aside; the crew felt that her anger rose even more. "More rum than you could ever drink, plenty of food, and shelter... I gave it all to you, and yet you chose a bag of gold over me?"

As the liquid slowly dripped from the canoneer’s head, he became smaller and smaller, cowering in fear before his captain. He knew that she hated traitors with a passion, but he... had had to do what he did. "C-Captain..." he stuttered, "I-I only wanted to give it to me family, they need the coin, urgently..." The last part was only a whisper and was drowned out by the yelling of the crew. Many of his, now probably former friends glared at him. They did not understand how someone could betray the captain like that.

Said captain raised a brow. Oh, he played out the family card? Well, that certainly was the straw that broke the camel's back. "No, my friend... if you truly cared for your family, you wouldn't have chosen this life," Elaina whispered to him as she leant down, just inches away from his face. "You know, I'm many things... but certainly not cruel," she added and rose again before she turned her attention to the crew. "Mister Barker says he needs this gold, and who are we to deny him what he claims is rightfully his?" she spoke boldly and picked up the heavy bag of gold.

Lyssa could only smirk from her position behind her sister but in front of the crew. She understood the sentiment. Traitors on board of a pirate ship were the last thing anyone needed. Despite that... they both hated them with a passion. She watched as the former cannoneer sweated, his eyes darting from one person to another; you could see the pure, primal fear in his eyes.

"Tie it to his hands," Elaina then commanded and handed the bag over to two of her men, who were quick to fulfill their task while the captain moved over to her sister and whispered to her, "His legs, two clean shots."

She only needed to ask and Lyssa nodded with an unreadable expression on her face, taking out two of her pistols from her dark blue coat. She calmly waited until the men had finished their task and then stepped a bit forward, making sure nobody stood in her line of fire. Cocking the pistols, she pulled the triggers simultaneously.

The noise of the pistols being fired cut through the air, followed by Barker's scream of pain as the bullets pierced his legs, ripped apart his flesh and muscles and then landed on the planks, while the white fabric of Barker's trousers slowly turned red. "Remember that it wasn't me who killed you... it was your own greed," Elaina hissed and then turned to her crew. "Get this filth off my ship!" she yelled and turned away, heading for her quarters while her men threw the traitor overboard.

Her sister watched this happening for a moment, before he put back her pistols and collected her bullets. "Waste not..." she mumbled to herself, her caramel-colored eyes following her sister into her quarters, smiling slightly. For a moment, she contemplated following her, at least to ask for their next heading that had still to be decided. With a nod, she walked over the deck and knocked onto the now closed doors of the Captain's quarters.

"Gosh, what have I done to deserve such trouble in the morning already?" Elaina grumbled as she picked up her leather bracers and strapped them onto her forearms. She had not even been completely dressed when her sister had informed her about this little rat. Which greatly annoyed her, but the matter was too important to be delayed by a few pieces of leather and buckles. "Get in if you dare!" she replied to the knock, knowing only her sister knocked like this. 

Silently, the older sister entered the room, closing the door behind her. She smiled slightly as she watched Elaina put on the rest of her clothes. "Pity you gave him the gold to drown with..." she muttered, stepping towards the desk on which a map was spread out. She studied the drawn lines on it, her eyes flittering towards the unused sextant lying next to the map.

"And why on earth would I want something as worthless as traitor-tainted gold on board of my ship? Let the sea purify it and we’ll come back for it later after we’ve picked up our order in Nassau, if that's all you are concerned about," Elaina grumbled and fastened the strings of her corset and her torn overskirt.

Lyssa could only smile and shook her head. "No, I understand your sentiment," she said, looking up from the map. "But I considered our crew to be better than that..." she sighed, staring at the map without seeing anything.  "I hope nobody plans to follow this fool's example..." She may say that, but she did not believe that anyone would dare to do the same after this exemplary punishment.

"One should think they knew what would happen if they ever betrayed us the moment they decided to put their name onto our hiring list. I guess some things will never change," Elaina sighed and rubbed her temples, the rays of sunlight that broke through the window were reflected by the little jewel she wore on her right hand. Her engagement ring, Michael's ring... even after all those years, she never forgot about him. "Has the cook prepared breakfast yet? I'm starving," the captain complained as she joined her sister at her desk, fixing her headscarf.

"Yes, he has," Lyssa replied. "Let's go and eat something, I haven't eaten either." She turned away and opened the door, looking over the deck where the crew was currently working. The redhead blinked into the sun and smiled slightly, before she turned her head towards her sister. "If we're lucky, they haven't eaten everything," she joked and stepped outside, enjoying the sunlight on her face.

"They better haven't, unless they want me to turn into a cannibal," the younger sister replied and followed after Lyssa. She was curious what the cook had prepared from the few leftovers of what one would consider decent food.

They walked down to the galley where the cook was busy preparing the food, some kind of warm stew with meat and vegetables - the things that spoiled first. Without a word, the cook gave them their portions and left them to seat themselves. Lyssa did not hesitate to take a seat and then began to eat, almost as hungry as her sister.

"I think I will go hunting once we spot a decent spot. Haven't had shark in a while," Elaina said with a smirk and dug into her food, glad the meat was still free of parasites.

Her sister only rolled her eyes at her, but enjoyed the meal regardless. It did not take them long to finish eating, finally with full bellies again. Lyssa stood up, collected their plates and brought them to the cook. Then, she turned to her sister. "I'll be in the crow's nest, if you need me," she said, before walking towards the exit to go back on deck.

"As if I needed you down here to stand around uselessly like the rest of the crew!" Elaina laughed and followed Lyssa back on deck. "Hoist all the sails, we are heading for Nassau!" she yelled and took the wheel, she rarely trusted anyone else with steering her ship.

"Aye, captain!" the crew yelled back and got to work. Lyssa shook her head as she climbed into the lookout. It did not take her long to begin throwing knives and one of the targets she had placed up there. It was something to keep her occupied while she looked around for land and ships.

The Scarlet Phoenix seemed to float as it set into motion and carried her crew over the sea. Some could argue that traveling with a ship of this size and equipment would take ages, but each of the ship's occupants was a pirate in heart and soul. Such a thing as spending too much time on the sea didn't exist.

They simply enjoyed the freedom of piracy, something the Navy or any normal seaman would never understand. This life... it was in their blood and they would not want it any other way. As the ship cut through the waves, following their course steadily, everyone did their part. The crew worked on deck, the captain steered it and her sister was on lookout. It was a normal day for them – with the exception of getting rid of a traitor, of course.

 

* * *

 

 

The sun was high up in the sky and about half of the way was behind them, when Elaina noticed something in the distance, a ship. "Oi! Lyssy! Are you sleeping up there?" the captain yelled up to the lookout.

An audible `thud´ was heard, as said woman narrowed her eyes at the approaching vessel. Lyssa had just thrown one of her knives as the ship came into her view. Her caramel-colored eyes turned serious as she noticed the flag. "Pirates!" she yelled back, ignoring her sister's question. The ship had been approaching so fast, she almost did not notice it.

"Colleagues, eh? Who is it?" Elaina asked as the crew waited to get ready for battle. Whoever that was, they seemed eager to meet them, but for what reason?

"Black Flags!" Lyssa replied, narrowing her eyes further as she studied the vessel. It was completely black and somehow she remembered what it was called. The legendary and notorious... "Black Pearl..." she murmured to herself, surprised to see that vessel. But why was it approaching them so quickly?

Elaina narrowed her stark blue eyes, then a smirk appeared on her face. "Now, what does Jack want?" she chuckled. The last meeting between her and Sparrow had not ended well for him, so he surely was not all too eager to make another attempt on courting her. "Any signals from them?" the captain called to her sister.

Said markswoman studied the ship closely, but shook her head. "None so far!" she answered downwards. "You think they might attack us?" she questioned disbelievingly. Certainly no one was so stupid as to try to attack the Scarlet Phoenix head-on. They would not survive that.

"Why would they do that? But well, with Jack in charge, the Pearl surely is an unpredictable visitor," Elaina replied and slipped into her coat her first mate was handing her, along with the captain's hat. "Let's see what this is all about."

As fast as the other ship was, it did not take long for it to be almost close enough to capture the Phoenix, if they so intended. Lyssa frowned and climbed down from the crow's nest, positioning herself near her sister, but a bit behind her. Her caramel-colored eyes narrowed as she studied the approaching vessel.

Elaina narrowed her eyes, too, as the Pearl came closer and closer. There was still no calling out for her and her sister in Jack's usual flirtatious manner. "Three men to the swivel guns," she said, and her more agile cannoneers quickly went to their positions on the more flexible guns they used to aim at gunpowder storages on enemy ships. Holding her head up high, the captain stepped forward to face whoever dared to invade her personal space.

 


	2. Chapter 2 - "He's a pirate, of course he is holding you against your will!"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meeting with a colleague. Why in the world does he need that coin?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rated M (as of now) for later chapters.  
> Main paring is OC/Barbossa.  
> Warning: /  
> Scarlet Phoenix's flag: deviantart.com/art/Scarlet-Phoenix-Jolly-Roger-688036640

The ship stopped beside them, for a short moment there was complete silence. Then, a man with a large feathered hat appeared at the ship's rail; he had a monkey on his shoulder. There was no sight of his crew. As the man saw the Phoenix's captain, he pulled his hat from his head and bowed as a greeting.

"Ah, what an honor to meet the infamous and notorious Captain Elaina Bonny," he spoke, an unknown kind of tone in his voice as he grinned. "We'll see about that," Elaina replied as she stared the man down. "And who might you be? Is Jack already that scared of me that he doesn't dare to face me himself?" she asked with a smirk, causing her crew to roar with laughter.

The man snorted. "Well, ye see... Jack is a bit... indisposed at the moment," he replied, frowning and seemingly remembering something he did not like. "And me name, Captain Bonny, is Hector Barbossa, as of now captain of the Black Pearl." He grinned and put his hat back onto his head. "And by _indisposed_ you mean you disposed of him," Elaina stated dryly, she knew that Jack Sparrow was a coward sometimes, but he would never give up on the Pearl.

"Mutiny is a crime, Hector Barbossa... Betraying your captain like this is punishable by death. But well, since I wasn't exactly on good terms with Jack and you seem to have at least some manners, I've decided to hear you out."

Barbossa only smirked. "Ah, the enemy of me enemy is me friend, then? I can live with that..." He stopped for a moment before eyeing the ship. "It may be the case that ye have something on board of yer ship that... interests me..." The captain explained carefully, it seemed that it was clear to him that the Scarlet Phoenix could destroy the Pearl in a matter of seconds.

"Maybe, but that depends on what you are looking for," Elaina replied, her smirk never leaving her lips. "The Scarlet Phoenix has many things to offer, but surely not all of them are desirable. So tell me- Goodness gracious, what is that noise?" the now annoyed captain asked as a loud banging emerged from the Pearl's belly.

The other captain grimaced and muttered something under his breath, before he briefly turned around. "Keep 'er quiet!" he ordered his men and then turned back towards the blonde. "Apologies, we've an... unruly guest on board that doesn't know 'er manners..."

"Her?" Elaina asked, the tension in her voice grew for a moment, but she was quick to control her temper. The news that Port Royal had been attacked by pirates had spread like a wildfire, and now it seemed like she had the culprit right in front of her. "Souvenir from Port Royal, eh?"

Barbossa snorted. "Aye, more or less... But I don't want to bore ye with mindless chatter," he continued, coming back to the main topic. "May it be that ye have... Spanish gold aboard yer ship?" he questioned, not noticing her reaction towards the mentioning of their `guest´.

"I have plenty of gold on board of my ship, since I have plenty of space," she chuckled, and again her crew laughed. "I'm sure a couple of piles are of Spanish origin, but why would that interest you? Are you some sort of coin collector?"

He grinned at that. "Ye could say that. If it wouldn't be too much trouble to ye... Would ye consider lookin' for a gold coin with a skull on it? It tends to stick out..." There was politeness in his voice, but also a sudden tension at the mention of said coin. Behind the Phoenix's captain, Lyssa stared at the other captain. There was something that interested her – it may have been his eyes, or his demeanor, she did not know.

"Lizzy, would you be so kind?" Elaina called up to her sister without averting her gaze from Barbossa. The redhead nodded, going down into the treasury to procure the coin. "Let us assume I have said coin, what would you give me in return if I was inclined to leave it to you?"  

The captain of the Black Pearl grinned. "Oh, I'm sure there be a generous compensation for yer troubles. Is there anything ye might want or need?"

"You could bring that noisy little guest of yours up here, I think I'd like to have a conversation," Elaina replied, this time she made no secret of her displeasure regarding the imprisoned woman.

Barbossa grimaced briefly, but nodded his assent. "Bring 'er up!" he ordered his men and it did not take them long to come towards the rail, nudging a young woman beside the captain. She wore a dress and her face was drawn into a scowl as she stared at the pirates in disgust. As her gaze trailed towards the female pirate, her eyes widened in surprise.

Elaina eyed the young woman as if she was sizing her up. She was hardly older than herself, which angered her even more. "What is your name?" she asked the woman, trying her best to keep her hot temper at bay.

The young woman looked up at her defiantly. "Elizabeth... Turner," she replied, her gaze flittering briefly towards Barbossa and then back to the female captain. "And yours?" she questioned as though they were at a private tea party.

"Elaina Bonny, and as you are not occupying my ship, I shall refrain from insisting on my title as captain," the dirty-blonde woman replied and grabbed one of the ropes. "Mind if I step over for a moment? I hate staring down at people during a conversation," she then told Barbossa.

"Be my guest," he simply stated, obviously refraining from rolling his eyes. Elizabeth only nodded as an answer, but continued to eye her curiously as the captain prepared to come onto the Pearl. It seemed as though this was the first time she had seen a female captain. Which was no surprise since Elaina was probably the only one at the moment.

"Too kind," said female sneered and swung over to the Pearl, landing on her feet elegantly as a cat. "A pleasure to meet you, Miss Turner. If I may be so bold and ask, what brings a lovely lady such as yourself on board of this pile of rotten planks?"

The young woman seemed to contemplate something for a moment, before her eyes trailed over Barbossa and stopped at Elaina. "Parley," she simply answered and clenched her teeth, the disgust evident in her face and voice.

Elaina appeared surprised for a moment, but then she smirked, amused that this lady even knew that word. "Let me guess, you attacked Port Royal and tricked her during Parley, am I correct?" she asked Barbossa, who seemed to be proud of his shrewdness.

His smirk was answer enough. It was that moment that her sister came back on board, looking around, before spotting her captain on the other ship. Frowning, she walked towards the rail. "I can't find it," she exclaimed. "Maybe it's among the crew's things." Her eyes wandered over the young woman, her state of dress, before she studied the facial expressions of everyone present.

Elaina looked up to her sister and nodded, then she yelled, "Scarlet Phoenix! Has anyone of you a gold coin with a skull on it in his possession? If so, bring it here now!"

Murmuring started among the men as they searched their possessions. It did take a while for someone to exclaim "I found it!" and running towards the rail, handing it to the captain's sister who copied Elaina without hesitation and jumped over to the other ship, giving her the coin after briefly studying it. "Aztec..." Lyssa muttered intrigued, stepping behind her sister.

Elaina took the coin and eyed it intently, holding it up against the sun to study each detail. Indeed, Aztec gold. "Is this the coin you want?" she then asked, showing the gold piece to Barbossa, but keeping it out of his reach.

The man's hand twitched quite obviously, wanting to take it from her grasp. But he was able to control himself. "Aye, indeed that be the coin I was looking for," he replied and then grinned. "What do ye want in exchange?"

"Is there anything you want, Lyssy?" Elaina asked her sister. As quartermaster, it was Lyssa's task to distribute the shares of the spoils among the crew, and as the captain's favorite for obvious reasons, she was the one who got to spread the gold.

Said quartermaster let her eyes roam over the black-sailed ship, contemplating the needs of their crew. However, as her gaze focused on the other captain for a moment, she averted her eyes quite quickly, suddenly turning shy – and a bit red. She stepped closer towards her sister, quietly telling her what they could use. "Provisions perhaps, but mostly ammunition..." she listed, still not able to eye any of the other present people. She shifted a bit from one foot to the other.

Elaina nodded and turned her attention back to Barbossa. "You may have the coin, as it seems it has a lot more value to you than to us. I'm willing to give it to you in exchange for a handful of gunpowder and a small sack of flintlock bullets. Do we have a deal, Captain Barbossa?" she asked, holding out her hand with a smirk.

The captain grinned, taking her hand and shook it. "Aye, we have," he replied in relief and ordered his crew to bring said things on deck. Elizabeth stood only a few meters away from them, disbelief obvious on her face, for whatever reason. "B-But..." she spoke, her eyes flittering from one captain to another and briefly over Lyssa.

"Is there a problem, Miss Turner? Does the company of Captain Barbossa not meet your standards?" Elaina asked with a cheeky smile as she waited for her sister to retrieve her new belongings.

Lyssa examined the material and nodded her assent, before heaving the sack over her shoulder and walking back to her sister. Meanwhile, Elizabeth had puffed up her cheeks. "H-He is holding me against my will!" she exclaimed then, earning a laughter from Barbossa.

"He's a pirate, of course he is holding you against your will! Gosh, supposedly educated girls are daft," Elaina sighed and handed the coin to Barbossa to finish the bargain.

Behind her, Lyssa rolled her eyes. "As long as he isn't doing anything too despicable to her..." she muttered under her breath. The woman, or girl, did not matter to her, it was normal for pirates to take prisoners. Barbossa smiled as he took the coin, something flashing in his eyes that seemed suspiciously like hope and joy. "Pleasure to make business with ye, Captain Bonny."

"I'm sure we will meet on Tortuga someday, and maybe then we will have less suspicious things to trade with, Captain Barbossa," Elaina said with a smile. It obviously didn't bother her too much that Jack was no longer in charge of the Black Pearl.

"Aye," he simply replied, concluding their business as he gave the coin to the monkey that sat on his shoulder. It screeched once, but put the coin into one of the pockets of its clothes. Elizabeth seemed to want to say something, but was quickly silenced as Barbossa made a hand motion for his men to bring her back below deck. Then, his gaze roamed over the two woman on board of his ship. "Well, then..."

"Farewell, Black Pearl. Off we go!" Elaina announced and climbed back onto her own ship along with her sister. "I want all sails hoisted, back on course! And you, come here!" Elaina yelled and pointed at the man who had given the coin to them. "Here, as a little compensation," she said with a smile and handed him a small sack of coins.

"Thank you, Captain," the sailor replied and then got back to work. They could hear Barbossa yelling on the other ship. "Change course to _Isla de Muerta_! We're finally free!" The crew seemed to cheer and it did not take long for the Pearl to set sail again. On the Phoenix, the crew began to get back on course and Lyssa stored away the ammunition they received. One could never have enough. Particularly when they captured ships as often as they did.

"Your cheeks are red," Elaina whispered into her sister's ear, a cheeky grin appeared on her face as she headed back to the steering wheel. Could it be that her big sister was in love at last?

"Y-You know me..." she murmured to herself. “Just s-shy..." She stared after her sister. Lyssa could not deny that the other captain had looked quite attractive, but she would never make a move on him. They probably would not see each other any time soon, anyway. She sighed and climbed back up to the crow's nest, where she continued throwing knives at her targets and watching out for approaching ships.

________________________________________

"A traitor and a bargain, what an eventful day," Elaina murmured to herself and steered her ship further to the South-East. Hopefully they would have generous tailwinds, she couldn't wait to reach Nassau.

 


	3. Chapter 3 - "Let's tear them apart!"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An easy enemy to fight and a mysterious note on a pirate hunter. What's going on?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rated M (as of now) for later chapters.  
> Main paring is OC/Barbossa.  
> Warning: /  
> Scarlet Phoenix's flag: deviantart.com/art/Scarlet-Phoenix-Jolly-Roger-688036640

The rest of the day passed in a blur and night fell upon the ship, the moon shining brightly above them. Most of the crew - with the exception of only few people - had long since retired; it was quiet on deck.

Elaina still stood at the steering wheel, her eyes were closed as the cold winds gently stroked over her face. Her eyes soon fell onto her engagement ring again, the little diamond sparkled in the moonlight. A pained expression appeared on her face and she let out an exasperated sigh.

"Is everything alright?" a voice behind her questioned. Lyssa was still awake as well, her eyes filled with concern as she noticed her sister's expression.

"It's nothing," Elaina muttered, keeping her eyes ahead. It had been almost two years, but she still thought of Michael every now and then. If there truly was such a thing as curses in this world, then love was the worst of all.

Her sister kept quiet, frowning a bit. "I'm going to sleep for a few hours. Wake me, if you need anything," she explained, giving Elaina a last glance, before she disappeared towards her quarters.

"Goodnight," the captain replied and glanced at the ceilings. The winds were picking up again, but there were not enough men on deck to hoist all the sails again. However, half of the sails were enough to keep them going at night, and it made it easier to steer the massive galleon.

The Scarlet Phoenix was an extremely well-armed ship with three masts, all of them held crimson sails – it was one of the vessel’s signature features that made it quite obvious for everyone approaching who they had to deal with. A number of 40 cannons in total and byzantine fire made it practically unbeatable. The phoenix figurehead at the bow of the ship was also something that caught one’s eye.

If the weather continued to be that favorable, it would not take them long to reach Nassau, probably only a few days now. And then, the crew could take a short break before they would continue sailing over the oceans.

\-------------------------------------------

The early morning hours had a relaxed routine on the Scarlet Phoenix. The sailors who last guarded the ship would wake up the quartermasters and then get to sleep. The quartermasters would wake everyone else, of course beginning with the cook and his helpers, and then the day would begin.

First came breakfast, after that, the crew began their day and their usual routine fell in place. The captain stood at the helm, her sister in the crow's nest again. It was peaceful, but the anticipation of reaching Nassau was already all-present.

Gambling, rum, prostitutes, the crew certainly would enjoy themselves. In a couple of hours they should see the island. However, the joyful climate was disturbed when one of the men on one of the three masts called out: "PIRATE HUNTERS!"

All of a sudden, everyone was on high alert. The crew ran to do their duties, as Lyssa narrowed her eyes at the ships. "Just some no-names!" she called out. They had had run-ins with most of the famous pirate hunters in the Caribbean - nobody lived to tell the tale. These, however, were only novices.

"Spaniards, of course..." Elaina said smirking and called to her sister, "Any idea what they have with them? We could use some sugar or ore!"

The markswoman pulled out a telescope and studied the ship closely. They had a few cargo caches lying on board, branded with the sign for salt. Lyssa grimaced and continued her examination, now noticing a cache in the hands of a few sailors who were busy carrying it under deck. "They've got spices at least!" she yelled back.

"This will do, let's tear them apart!" the captain announced, the crew roared in joy and got ready for a good old-fashioned ship-battle.

As the enemy ship came closer, the cannons were readied. They could see the pirate hunters preparing and their captain shouting something. It did not take long for the first of their cannons to be fired.

The cannonballs flew towards the Scarlet Phoenix, apparently they intended to give them the whole nine yards. However, once they hit the heavy plates they shattered to pieces without leaving as much as a dent. Elaina laughed loudly and yelled: "Fire!"

And soon the air was filled with the sound of firing cannons and breaking wood. The enemy ship did not stand a chance as hole after hole was put into its sides. The pirate hunters yelled in fear, some of them falling over the rails. Only their captain stood fearless in the face of his enemies, glaring at Elaina. "I'll finish you off, pirate scum!" he screamed in anger, waving a saber around.

"Get him, Lyssy!" Elaina called up to her sister, knowing if they got a little closer it would be easy for her sister to put a bullet into this cocky bastard's head, so she steered the Phoenix right towards the enemy ship.

The markswoman only smiled, reading her musket and steadying herself inside the crow's nest. The enemies' captain was far too easy of a target, so aiming was not difficult.

The ship came closer and Lyssa narrowed her eyes, aiming with excellent precision. When she had a clear path to her target, she pulled the trigger. The bullet raced along its path and finally found its way directly between the eyes of her target.

"I hate men who can't shut their mouth! Pull them closer!" Elaina yelled with a gleeful smile as the Phoenix came to a halt side by side with the enemy ship. Her crew threw the grappling hooks and pulled the ship closer before they stormed it. Time to make clear who was the hunter and who was the hunted...

Jeering and yelling filled the air as the two crews clashed against each other, but it was quite clear that the enemies had no chance whatsoever. Clanking swords and firing pistols were heard all over the enemies' ship. Their moral had already decreased, their captain lying dead. Lyssa shot any straggler from above while the crew slowly but surely dominated their opponents.

It didn't take long until only a handful of pirate hunters were left. They were forced onto their knees as Elaina stepped towards them, two of her men by her side aiming their pistols at the defeated hunters. "Well, well, well, what have we here?" she asked mockingly. Honestly, how could they have been so stupid as to attack them with this pitiful excuse of a frigate?

"We don't speak to pirate scum!" one of them exclaimed and earned himself a hit from one of her crew members. Even in this moment they glared at the pirates as though they still had a chance. Which they did not, of course.

"Good call, why did I think you were worth my attention? Finish them and take what is left," Elaina said and waved them off, leaving them to their fate. The codex said it was forbidden to kill enemies who surrendered, and they didn't, so it wasn't her problem anymore. Her crew looted the ship for resources and the cargo while she herself took a look at the captain, maybe she could find out who paid them or if he had something precious on him.

He was still laying on deck in his own blood. His coat did not seem that expensive, as did his sword. However, as the captain rummaged through his coat, she found a pouch filled with gold, some kind of ring and a folded piece of paper that seemed far too... fancy for a pirate hunter to have.

Elaina took the gold and the ring, but she narrowed her eyes as she saw the paper. What could that be? She took it carefully and unfolded it.

It seemed fancy, the handwriting quite elaborate. But it was not Spanish as one would have thought. It was in English and signed with the name of some Governor. In general it was about said Governor’s daughter that he wished to have back. She had been kidnapped by pirates and the pirate hunter’s orders were to eliminate any kind of pirates they saw and bring her back to him.

"I knew it," Elaina murmured and returned to her own ship after her crew had finished their business here. After sinking the enemy ship they took off and headed for Nassau. She would talk to her sister about this once the crew had settled down.

The loading of the goods did take a bit longer than expected, but it was done without problems. After making their cannons ready for the next battle and making sure nothing was amiss on their ship, their journey continued. Lyssa had directed the transportation of the goods and was now polishing and readying her musket again, not far away from the helm.

"John, take the wheel for a bit," Elaina said to her first mate, one of the few people she trusted on this ship. "Aye, captain!" the older man replied and took the wheel for her while she left to talk to her sister. "Look at this, Lyssy. They came for Barbossa's _guest_. What do you think?" she asked, handing her big sister the fancy paper.

"Of course, she was Navy..." the markswoman muttered, while quickly reading the piece of paper. She looked up and frowned. "She seemed like nobility, so no surprise there..." Lyssa rolled her eyes, but raised a brow in thought. "But pirates usually don't do kidnappings, right?" she questioned more to herself than to anyone else.

"And usually also no prisoners, the codex states that everyone who refuses to serve on a pirate ship must die," Elaina replied and sat down beside Lyssa. "I think it had something to do with the coin Barbossa wanted. Aztec gold... do you think it was cursed or something? The Aztecs were known for their blood sacrifices and similar things."

Her sister frowned. "Yes, I heard him yell something about an Isla de Muerta, an Island of Death," she began, looking up from the paper. "I've heard stories about some kind of large treasure on that island, but that those who dared to take it, would be cursed terribly..." She trailed off and turned towards her sister.

"Fact is that they probably need her for something, whether it has something to do with a curse or not..." Lyssa sighed. "You know how serious I take curses and such." It was true. The markswoman had always been quite superstitious, regardless of what was involved.

"So, should we go after them or stay as far away as possible?" Elaina asked, tilting her head. She never really believed in curses or prophecies, but for the sake of her sister, she would always play along.

The redhead frowned again, contemplating. "I don't know. I don't like the girl and everything in connection to the Navy irritates me as much as you, but..."

"But you would hate it if your knight in shining armor was taken for good by a curse, am I right?" Elaina sighed. "Alright... we will pick up our order in Nassau and give the crew some rest. Come morning, we will see if we can find the Pearl."

Lyssa's cheeks reddened slightly. Yes, she found the captain of the Pearl quite likeable, but she was also curious about the curse. Everything remotely magical or mythical had always drawn her in. She could not help it. She finished polishing and stood up. "I'll be in the crow's nest," she said, handing the piece of paper back to her sister.

Elaina nodded and took the paper before she retreated into her quarters to study her maps. She had heard of the Isla de Muerta, and that it couldn't be found if one didn't know its location. Maybe her books could give her a hint.

So the rest of the day passed peacefully while the crew worked, Lyssa watched out for ships and Elaina went through her books in search of information. The ship made good time and the way to Nassau became shorter and shorter.

 

 


	4. Chapter 4 - "Will I not be spared anything?"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A familiar - and unwanted face - appears on the horizon. But this could work out...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rated M (as of now) for later chapters.  
> Main paring is OC/Barbossa.  
> Warning: /  
> Scarlet Phoenix's flag: deviantart.com/art/Scarlet-Phoenix-Jolly-Roger-688036640

By the time the sun was about to set, the Scarlet Phoenix finally reached Nassau. The massive galleon rested peacefully at the docks as the crew was granted shore leave. While most of her men were out drinking and gambling and whatnot, Elaina supervised the installation of her newest equipment: The diving bell, a chamber one lowered into the sea to allow divers to explore underwater for prolonged periods of time. It would make it possible for them to salvage wrecks and loot their treasure. A well-placed investment for their ship.

Said galleon attracted a lot of attention any time it docked here. But they were already used to that. People still stared though. "Everything in order?" Lyssa questioned as she stepped up behind her sister, absentmindedly writing down some things on a piece of parchment.  

"Isn't it gorgeous?" the captain asked proudly as the diving bell was pulled up and safely stored away in the ship's belly. "We are going to explore every single corner of the sea, nothing will keep its secrets from us anymore."

Her sister stopped her writing, looked up and smiled. "Yes, completely new adventures await us," she agreed, staring at the bell with something akin to fascination. Unconsciously she waved the feather in her hand a bit around.

"Any idea where the Isla de Muerta could be? The books didn't help at all," Elaina admitted, looking frustrated. If there was one thing she hated almost as much as betrayal, it was secrets.

Lyssa only chuckled, but understood her frustration. "To find an island that cannot be found, but by those who know where it is..." She kept silent for a moment. "The only chance is probably to find someone who knows where it is... which would be Captain Barbossa's crew apparently," she explained.

Elaina shrugged and watched how the diving bell was safely stored in the ship's belly. "Well, maybe it's better that way. Some things better remain unknown. I'd rather finally go for a dive, now that we have suitable equipment," she then told her sister with an excited smile.

The redhead giggled slightly. "Of course, you're always impatient to try your new toys." She beckoned one of the sailors to her and gave him the list, the man nodded and disappeared from the ship. "It'll take a few moments for him to get the cargo loaded."

"No rush, we won't set sails before dawn," Elaina said calmly as her gaze wandered over her ship. They had invested so much time, gold, effort and patience, and the results were truly impressive.

Lyssa nodded, looking down at the feather in her hands. "The crew's glad for the break, especially since we're heavily loaded with gold." She giggled.

"Of course they are glad, they finally get to spend their share," Elaina replied with a chuckle. "Let's go and enjoy the evening while we still can," she added and headed for the tavern.

The markswoman stored away her quill and followed her sister. At this time of the day, the tavern was well-frequented and laughing sailors sat everywhere. The two sister took a seat and ordered each a mug of rum.

"What a messy pile of drunk bastards, but still cleaner than Tortuga," Elaina chuckled and leant back in her seat as she watched the madding crowd.

The redhead nodded, tentatively drinking from her mug - she did not really have a high tolerance for alcohol. "I don't really like Tortuga that much, too many of these wenches and too many sailors mistaking us for them." She shuddered slightly.

Elaina laughed at that and took a gulp of her drink. She still remembered the one time a poor sailor with too much alcohol in his blood stumbled towards them and how quickly he had disappeared after the two sisters had made it clear that they were not that sort of women.

"One would think they knew who we are..." Lyssa mumbled, taking another sip from her rum. "But most of the time they think you're a man." She giggled, her caramel-colored eyes roaming over the inside of the tavern.

"I don't think they'd mistake us for males anymore, we are far too developed to hide it," Elaina chuckled, referring to her long wavy hair and her obvious humps.

"Instead they stare..." Lyssa fidgeted slightly, looking into her mug and absentmindedly playing with her quite noticeable hair. "I'm just glad our crew stopped doing that a long time ago."

"They actually did that once? I must have failed to notice," the younger of the two sisters replied with a raised eyebrow and took another gulp from her drink.

"In the beginning," the redhead confirmed. "You probably didn't notice, but I felt their eyes on me and it made me uncomfortable." Her fingers circled the edge of her mug. "It reminded me of every time that Sparrow fellow would try to flirt with us..."

"You'd think he learnt his lesson after what happened last time," Elaine muttered, but she still rolled her eyes at her sister. She could turn into a real beast once she had her guns in her hands or faced something out of the ordinary - but when it came to situations in day-to-day life of their society, she would turn into a shy little girl, way too soft and squeaky to be called a pirate.

The markswoman only sighed and took another sip from her mug. "Nonetheless, I feel more comfortable here in Nassau than in Tortuga." She smiled and leaned back in her chair, her sharp eyes studying the people present.

"That's definitely true. It feels much more homely, considering its history," the blonde chuckled and finished her drink. "If we were sitting in the Faithful Bride right now, there would already be a bar fight and people betting on who's gonna win."

Lyssa hummed in agreement and smiled slightly as she stared into her mug again. "Everyone would cheer, the tables thrown through the room..." She giggled. "Typical for that particular tavern, I believe."

Elaina nodded in agreement and rose from her seat. "Well then, I'll go get some rest - a lady needs her beauty sleep. You coming?" she asked her sister with a smirk.

"Of course," the redhead smiled, emptied her mug and together they left the tavern, walking side by side back to the Phoenix to get some rest. The sky had darkened considerably.

"I love the night sky," Elaina said quietly as they boarded their ship, a small smile appeared on her lips. She loved to just lean on the rail and observe the moon and the stars, the different constellations and sometimes the shooting stars that passed by.

Lyssa chuckled, staring at the sky herself. "It stays the same, regardless of where we are on the sea..." She thought for a moment and then spoke again. "You know, I've heard a few stories about stars falling down and people finding them. They're supposed to be magical..."

"Is there anything in your life that is not connected to magic?" Elaina asked with a pained smile and then headed towards her chambers.

"Not really..." the markswoman muttered to herself, disappearing towards her quarters herself. The night continued to be calm and everyone found rest. As the sun dawned the next day, the preparations to leave Nassau again were underway.

Some of the men seemed to have a bit of a hangover, but nothing that would keep them from doing their work. Elaina stood at the helm when her crew hoisted the sails and the Phoenix started moving. It didn't take long until the first shanty was sung and the usual routine began to settle in.

The sun rose higher and the waves broke away from the ship as the galleon moved through the ocean with a steady speed. It was not until the late afternoon of that day that Lyssa noticed another ship approaching. "Navy ship from starboard!" she called out, her telescope at her eye.

Crew and captain instantly looked over to the approaching ship. Elaina smirked as she recognized it. The Interceptor, the fastest ship the Royal Navy could offer. "Gentlemen... Battle stations!" Elaina called out with a smirk, always eager for a fight with those British bastards.

"Aye!" came the answer from the crew. Everyone hurried to get to their positions and John stepped beside his captain. A few moments later, preparations had been finished. "We're ready to fight, captain," her first mate smirked.

"Want to fire a swivel gun or just pick up a cannon?" Elaina asked him with a cheeky smirk. She would always make jokes of that kind when _Long-John_ was around. Standing more than six foot tall her first mate was a real hulk of a man. The strands of his wavy shoulder-length brown hair that would frame his face were tied into a loose ponytail at the back of his head. His full beard was neatly trimmed, since even a pirate would sometimes care for his looks, especially one as handsome as this grey-eyed specimen.

Said man rolled his eyes good-naturedly as he stared down at his captain with an amused smile. "I much prefer the swivel gun, even though a cannon can have its appeal, too." He shook his head slightly, narrowing his eyes at the approaching ship. "Strange that they're not sailing under the British flag..." he muttered. “Probably trying to fool us." John chuckled.

"A mistake they will only make once," Elaina smirked and told John to get to the swivel gun beside the helm. "Load the hunting cannons with chain shots and aim at the masts!" the captain commanded and steered her ship right towards the Interceptor, the cannons at the bow had a good chance of hitting their aim, as the Phoenix was taller than the Interceptor.

The cannons were loaded and after the signal was given, they were fired. The chain shots flew through the air, hitting the masts with a loud bursting sound. The wood snapped and only moments later, the two main masts slowly broke apart, the top part of the wood falling onto the deck and creating chaos on board.

The crew on the Phoenix just cheered at their successful attack and got ready for the next strike. "Everybody get down and hold on tight!" Elaina commanded and steered the man o' war right towards the flank of the Brig, ready to ram it with full force.

It was then that they heard the screaming from the other ship, it did not sound like Navy men, but it was ignored at that point. With great momentum, the massive galleon finally crashed right into the other ship. The thin wood of the Interceptor - in comparison to that of the Phoenix - burst without much resistance. "They're not Navy!" came the yell from above then.

"What?" Elaina called back. The huge smile on her face that appeared the moment she cracked the Navy ship like a walnut was quickly replaced by an expression of utter confusion.

"I... think they're pirates!" Lyssa replied, narrowing her eyes a bit to see clearer. She even thought that she saw Sparrow on the ship, but he disappeared from her vision as fast as he appeared. "Not one Navy soldier on the ship!"

Elaina sighed audibly and waved it off. "Whatever, get what is left of the cargo and let's be off then!" she commanded her men, not really in a mood to think about some stupid pirates that got themselves a famous Navy ship without hoisting a flag to identify themselves to their colleagues.

As the crew boarded the other ship to search for any kind of cargo, one of the people from the Interceptor waved at them - and he was familiar. "Wait, wait!" he called out, trying to get the blond Bonny's attention.

The latter squeezed her eyes shut and desperately tried to ignore this annoyingly familiar voice. Once again she let out an audible and deeply annoyed sigh. "Will I not be spared anything?" she muttered to herself and then stepped towards the railing.

One Captain Jack Sparrow smirked at her, as he saw her stepping forward. "Dearest Elaina, what a surprise to meet you here... with your ship..." His gaze wandered over the Phoenix.

 _So much for he's indisposed..._ "Greetings, Jack. I see you still have a thing for daring actions, such as stealing a well-known Navy ship without identifying yourself," Elaina replied dryly as she stared at the wanna-be captain.

"It was... an impulsive move..." he explained hesitantly, fidgeting slightly. "Well, you kind of destroyed the ship, so... would you consider taking me and my crew on board of your ship?" There was a pleading expression on his face - he was obviously trying the puppy eye approach with her.

"Forget it," she said dryly and told her men to go faster, she didn't want to spend more time here than it was necessary - and she was definitely not in the mood to have anyone but her own crew on her ship.

"Please, you have to help us!" It was another man who stepped up beside Jack who was struggling for words. "We're on our way to rescue someone, please..." The young man pleaded, staring at the female captain in clear desperation.

"Oh? Got yourself a new friend, Jack?" Elaina asked, pretty much ignoring the male who clearly wasn't a pirate. The rest of the crew looked like a bunch of random sailors he probably hired at Tortuga Port.

"Aye, you could say that..." the other captain answered. "Are you perhaps... interested in a large treasure? More gold than you've ever wanted?" He wiggled his eyebrows at her, trying to convince the younger Bonny sister. Meanwhile the older one had come down from the crow's nest and stepped up beside her sister, frowning at the man.

Elaina had a rough idea where this was going, so she decided to be blunt. "Does this treasure have anything to do with Spanish skull-faced gold coins, an English woman and a ship that happened to be yours once?"

Jack blinked at that, seemingly surprised she knew about that. The man beside him gasped. "You've met Elizabeth?" he questioned, his eyes flittering from Elaina to Lyssa and back. "Aye," the other captain finally said, a smirk on his face. "We were sailing towards the Isla de Muerta."

 


	5. Chapter 5 - "We are people of freedom."

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> New passengers on the Phoenix - and they have information.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rated M (as of now) for later chapters.  
> Main paring is OC(Lyssa)/Barbossa.  
> Warning: /  
> Scarlet Phoenix's flag: deviantart.com/art/Scarlet-Phoenix-Jolly-Roger-688036640

_"Are you perhaps... interested in a large treasure? More gold than you've ever wanted?" He wiggled his eyebrows at her, trying to convince the younger Bonny sister. Meanwhile her older sister had come down from the crow's nest and stepped up beside her, frowning at the man._

_Elaina had a rough idea where this was going, so she decided to be blunt. "Does this treasure have anything to do with Spanish skull-faced gold coins, an English woman and a ship that happened to be yours once?"_

_Jack blinked at that, seemingly surprised she knew about that. The man beside him gasped. "You've met Elizabeth?" he questioned, his eyes flittering from Elaina to Lyssa and back. "Aye," the other captain finally said, a smirk on his face. "We were sailing towards the Isla de Muerta."_

 

* * *

 

The two sisters exchanged a quick glance. It seemed like fate truly wanted them to go there. "Fine... but be aware that I will not tolerate any indiscipline onboard of my ship and that I will not hesitate to throw anyone overboard who annoys me or causes me any trouble. Are we clear?" she stated, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"Crystal," Jack agreed, ushering his crew towards the other ship. The other man still stared at the female pirates while he walked. The rest of the crew followed after them - they did not look like real pirates, rather like a poor excuse of them. "He knows the way to the Island?" Lyssa questioned quietly, eyeing the other captain curiously.

"I assume he does. He must have been there, before he was marooned," Elaina replied quietly and stepped back to the helm as Jack and the other man she didn't know approached them.

Sparrow smirked at them both as they stopped in front of them. "So..." He hesitated for a moment. "You still need the heading, right?" The other man rolled his eyes.

"Unless you want to swim to the Isla de Muerta, you will tell me the course now," Elaina said calmly, but the undertone in her voice clearly held a warning. She would not let him take the helm or boss her crew around.

Jack's eyebrow twitched nervously. "Of course, love, that was just the thing I wanted to do." His friend snorted, earning a glare. "Shut up, William." Then, he turned back towards the two sisters. "Into your cabin?"

"Fine, come along then," Elaina sighed and had John take the helm while she took the man named William, Jack and her sister to her quarters.

The two men were impressed when they saw the captain's quarters - it looked quite fancy for a pirate ship. Lyssa stared at the eccentric pirate for a moment, her fingers twitching. He knew about the cursed island, but how much did he know?

Elaina asked her guests and her sister to sit down at the desk while she got some rum for them; no one should be able to claim that she was a bad hostess. "So tell me… What do you know about the Isla de Muerta?" she asked as she sat down in her cozy armchair, filling the cups with rum. "Uh, well..." Jack began, "It's a cursed island and the treasure that's hidden where, courtesy of one Hernán Cortés, is cursed." Lyssa nodded thoughtfully. So it was Cortés who had hidden his treasure there. "And it can only be found by those who know where it is - like me." "Is the entire treasure cursed or only the Aztec coins? Barbossa asked for this particular coin only, not for anything else I had on my ship, and there was still a lot of gold," Elaina asked, taking a gulp of her drink.

Jack shrugged at this question, following the captain's example and finishing his cup of rum in one big gulp. "Never been there, actually," he admitted. "Dear Hector mutinied me as soon as I knew the course towards the island." "I see... any ideas what this curse is? What happens to those who were cursed?" the captain asked, not willing to just sail into the blue, hoping to find god-knows-what. At that, Sparrow chuckled again. "Heard that they're immortal, but can neither eat, nor drink, nor enjoy the company of wenches..." He shook his head and Will grimaced, obviously disgusted. "Poor, poor Hector." Lyssa frowned. "They're simply skeletons, undead, ghosts... Many a story has been told about my dear Black Pearl and the ghosts living on ‘er."

"Then we better try and avoid a fight with the dead," Elaina suggested and grabbed a large map before she unrolled it on the table. "Mark me the exact location of the island," she then said and handed Jack a quill. The ship-less captain glanced at her. "Do we have an accord?" he asked. "That I and my dear friend William here, can stay on your ship until we're on the island?" He took the quill, letting it hover over the map, but still looking at Elaina with a smirk. "Aye, we do," Elaina said, smirking back at him as she waited for him to mark the spot; that was all she needed.

His smirk widened as he made a small dot somewhere in the Caribbean Sea and handed the feather back to her. "Well, where are our quarters?"

Elaina closed her eyes for a moment. She had originally intended to just tie the two of them to the wings of her gorgeous Phoenix, but since it wasn't just the two of them who resided on her ship for a while, she would not be that mean. "I will make sure the two of you and the rest of your crew will get cozy hammocks during your stay," she then replied.

The other captain grinned at that. "Thank you for your hospitality, love. But pray tell, why are you so interested in the island?" His eyes briefly went towards the redhead who seemed fascinated by what she had heard.

"Actually, I'm not interested in this island at all. My sister here is the expert for magical mumbo-jumbo. But I dislike secrets very much, so I'd like to know what this is all about, the girl in particular," Elaina replied, refilling Jack's mug. "The skull coins are Aztec gold... does this curse have anything to do with a human sacrifice?"

Will muttered something under his breath, but Sparrow chuckled. "Ah, the Aztecs and their sacrifices, right?" He raised a brow as Lyssa narrowed her eyes at him. "What kind?" she questioned softly, but intrigued. "I don't know the details, but it could be a blood sacrifice, or a virgin one..." He laughed. "But certainly nobody on this ship has to be afraid of the latter, aye?"

The two sisters briefly glanced at each other, then quickly averted their gazes before each of them simultaneously took a gulp of their drink. "So that's why he took the girl... but why her of all people?" Elaina then asked quickly, still not understanding all the connections.

Sparrow blinked at them, his smirk widening, but he looked at them in slight disbelief. "The coin she had..." Will muttered, raising his head. "It was mine originally, but she took it from me when we were children, I thought I lost it..." He seemed to be recall some memories.

"When you were children? So where did you get that coin from?" Elaina asked, wondering how children that grew up in a usually protected environment would get their hands on pirate gold.

Will lowered his gaze. "I was on a trader ship when pirates attacked, Elizabeth was on a Navy ship that came by and picked me up. I had been given the coin by my father before he... went back to the sea." "He was a pirate," Jack interrupted with a smirk. "Bootstrap Turner was 'is name."

"Turner, you say?" Elaina asked and seemed to remember something. _"What is your name?" "Elisabeth... Turner."_ Oh yes, that was it. "They mistook her for you..." Elaina concluded as she looked at William.

"What?" he questioned, his eyes widened. "You... you've met her?" Even Jack seemed interested in the conversation now. Lyssa frowned. They needed the blood of the coin's owner? Or not like that...

"I did. When I asked her for her name, she called herself Elisabeth Turner. Nothing special, but here's the twist of fate," Elaina said and pulled a fancy looking piece of parchment from a drawer of her desk. "A couple of days ago we were attacked by pirate hunters. They weren't a big deal, really, but one of them had this with him," she added and showed Will the note: an order from the Royal Navy to find the pirates who kidnapped the governor's daughter. "It says Elisabeth Swann, doesn't it? But they need the blood of a Turner, as it seems. They were not after her, they were after you."

"Of course, that must be why the pirates took her with them instead of leaving her somewhere..." Will muttered as his eyes studied the note. "She must have been afraid they were after her because of her connection with the governor," Lyssa added as an afterthought. Jack had narrowed his eyes a bit, his eyes roaming over the two female pirates, then his gaze focused on Will. "That's good, you've at least a bargaining chip to save your lass," he grinned.

"So we are going to face a captain and crew of undead pirates with a cursed ship, a damsel in distress and a pile of gold we don't want to touch... What do you think of this, Lyssy?" Elaina asked her sister with a slight smirk, sensing a great adventure.

The redhead's eyes sparkled. "I can't wait," she said, her voice could not hide her excitement and Will looked at her a bit confused. "Do you think we get to see the skeletons?" she questioned, smiling in anticipation.

"Probably in the dark," Elaina chuckled and rose from her seat. "Well then, gentlemen... let's set course for the Isla de Muerta!" she announced with a bright smile.

The markswoman smiled and opened the door and the small group stepped outside. The crew of the Phoenix had finished bringing the cargo on board and was ready to continue their journey. John came up to them, staring down at the unfamiliar men. "Everything in order, captain?"

"We have a new course, John. Please see to it that the quartermasters accommodate our guests for the time being," the captain replied with a smile and patted her first mate on the shoulder. "Off we go, gentlemen! Hoist the sails and cut the ropes!" she then yelled.

"Aye, captain!" Will studied the working crew curiously - it seemed much different from what their make-shift crew had done on the Interceptor. Lyssa stepped towards him and smiled as she noticed his gaze, hesitating slightly before speaking. "You're... you're not much of a sailor, are you?" she asked quietly, not looking directly into his face.

"I'm a blacksmith, actually, but Jack claims that I'm already a pirate by blood. As if," Will replied with a rather sour expression, he was certainly not keen on being called pirate.

The redhead frowned as they walked towards the railing. "Well, even if some of us have pirate blood in us, it doesn't mean we necessarily have to be one." She chuckled slightly. "My sister and I followed the call of the sea though."

"Oh yeah, that's another thing... who are the two of you? I mean, how comes that two women are in charge of such a huge ship and so many men?" Will asked, obviously confused by the situation, since it was common knowledge that women were not allowed on ships unless they were temporary passengers.

"My name is Lyssa Bonny, my sister's Elaina Bonny and we grew up wanting to be pirates. We have it in our blood as well," she began to explain. "With the help of our late mother's friend we were able to get the control over a ship. It's been two year since we got the Scarlet Phoenix." She smiled again. "Before having our own ship, we've worked on other pirate ships. It wasn't always easy, but we made do."

"So, your father was a pirate, too?" Will asked, his smile never leaving his lips as he listened to the story. He was truly interested in how two ladies about his age were able to become so powerful. Lyssa frowned slightly. "Aye, but not as notorious as our mother," she told him. "You may even now her name. Does Anne Bonny ring a bell?"

Will looked greatly surprised for a moment. Anne Bonny and Mary Read, two famous women among the pirates, and also among the English society, since Anne had been the bastard daughter of a rich man. "Yeah, I've heard of her. Does that mean your father was Calico Jack Rackham?" Will asked, his eyes had grown wide, for both were famous pirates, even though their departure was not the happiest.

Lyssa nodded with a quiet giggle. "You see, piracy is in our blood, but we wouldn't want it any other way." She looked towards the ocean, her red hair gently blowing in the wind. “Freedom isn’t the right to live, or the right to not be a slave. It’s every breath you take, every day you smile, every beat of your heart… It’s the right to choose how you want to live, how you want to spend the rest of your days.”

Her eyes flickering with long since extinguished fire. “We are people of freedom, and we’re always searching for it. Many people don't understand the need for freedom we pirates have. But it is wonderful to feel it, this freedom." She smiled happily.

"Probably because the freedom you love so much comes at an immoral price. You rob and murder honest people, without caring about the lives you ruin. You-" Will's rambling was interrupted when a little blade attached to a robe landed in the wood, right beside his hand he had on the railing.

"Oh please, as if you lot were any better," Elaina said, holding the other end of the rope in her hand, the sudden noise of the dagger startled everyone nearby. "You hunt us down and execute us, hang up our corpses for the crows to feed on, and you don't give a damn about us. In your eyes, pirates are nothing but scum, but you fail to see that we are also someone's parents, children, siblings or cousins. We also have places we call home and people we hold dear. The only difference between you and us is that we decided not to be slaves, not to the Spaniards and not to the British Empire."

Lyssa sighed, disappointed in him. This kind of reaction was the reason why she did not like to talk about this with non-pirates. Because these people simply did not understand, like her sister just said. "Laina..." she muttered, her gaze briefly meeting Will's eyes, before she looked at the ground. “Ha!" Jack suddenly shouted and came up to them. "But as I already said: dear William's father was a pirate and even one of the best I’ve ever known!"

"Too bad he wasn't raised a pirate," Elaina sighed and pulled her knife back up, putting it back into its holster on her belt. "Do you enjoy the view, Jack?" she then asked teasingly. Jack smirked. "Of course, how could I not on that lovely ship of yours, dear Elaina." Lyssa rolled her eyes, now ignoring Will, who guiltily hung his head.

Elaina merely chuckled and beckoned Sparrow to follow her. She did not care much for the other one at the moment.

Even though she disliked Jack's attitude sometimes, Elaina knew he was smart and that was what she needed when she sailed for a cursed island. Furthermore, the code said that pirates must respect each other, and that was what she was going to do. "Come with me to the helm, I'm sure you know one or two obstacles we might face on our way. As for you, big sister, up to your lookout, I've put a little surprise for you up there," Elaina said with a smirk and walked off to the helm.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading^^  
> Please feel free to leave feedback. :)


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